Good times at DWG.

Day 75 - 6/30/10
I slept in the shelter last night, which was not my original
intention. I had my tent set up, but Likely offered to tent out
instead because he snores really loud and he didn't want to keep
everyone awake all night in the shelter. That was nice of him, and I
did sleep very nicely in there. It was the coldest night we've had in
a while, so I actually had to sleep inside my bag with the thing
entirely zipped up. I prefer and would take that over sweating
profusely all night any day though.

I started hiking around 8:30, and maybe 20 minutes in realized my Sony
voice recorder was missing. I knew I had it when I left that morning,
so I backtracked all the way to the shelter and found it within 50 ft.
from it. Must've fallen out right when I had started. So that annoyed
me a little, having to run back and then redo mileage I had already
done.

After a while I started thinking a lot about why I'm doing this trip.
I reminded myself that I want to be here, and I'm doing something that
makes me happy. Sometimes you lose sight of it all, but when you
remember that this is all in the name of fun and enjoyment it makes
things like running back to find something you lost not so bad.

I finished up the 6.4 miles into town by 11:30, getting to the free
church hostel and finding The Crusher and Pistol (another Mainer)
already there. I got situated and then we went to get some lunch. We
ended up at this place where you can get a piece of pie and a hotdog
for 2.49...2.49! So I got two of those, and after that a cupcake.
Pretty nice lunch. We walked over to an outfitters after that, then a
couple gas stations to see if a resupply was possible with what they
had. It was not, so now I needed to get to the next town over
(Stroudsburg) to get food. Since I needed to do that I figured I'd try
to get some laundry done too. So we headed back to the hostel and
fortune granted us a ride in the form of the church pastor who just
happened to be checking on the place at the moment we walked up.

She gave us a ride to a laundrymat that had a grocery right nearby, so
all three of us got our chores done in a few hours. We called up a
taxi service to get a ride back once we were done. When we arrived
there was a substantial increase in the number of hikers at the
hostel, which I was surprised by because it felt like things had
really begun to thin out.

I hung out for a while, going through my food and organizing it, then
around 5 went to one of the outfitters I had visited earlier because I
was considering getting new shoes. I got there and tried several
different ones, really unsure about it all because of the price and
I've been hiking in boots and don't know much about shoes. I did end
up getting a pair, plus some new socks, and man do I notice the
difference. They're so much lighter then my boots were. Can't wait to
get back on the trail and really put them to the test. I'll be mailing
my boots back tomorrow, and I'll be curious to see how heavy the box is.

At 7:30ish Pistol, The Crusher, Hotfoot, and I went down to get pizza
at a place called Doughboy's, but not before going back to the pie
place where we each got a mini pie for 6 bucks. Don't let the word
mini fool you though, these things are dense. Anyway, the pizza was
really good, probably the best I've had on this trip so far. Afterward
we went back up to the hostel and hung out as more and more hikers
kept piling in. This place is getting crowded! It was kind of funny,
someone put in a Sublime CD in the boombox while we were hanging out,
which is not an album you'd expect to find at a church. Anyway, I'm
off to bed. Very tired. After a stop in at the post office tomorrow
morning it's back to the trail for me. And I'll finally be out of
Pennsylvania!

Total miles: 1284.4

I'm so close I can smell New Jersey.

Day 74 - 6/29/10
That's not quite true, but I've heard NJ does smell. Anyway, I woke up
around 8, and by 9:30 the guy took 4 of us back up to the trail. It
took about 15 minutes to get away from him because he likes to talk,
and that's putting it nicely.

I took 2 liters of water with me because at Wind Gap there's a motel .
1 miles off the trail, and it lasted me just fine until then. When I
made it there The Crusher, a French Canadian from Montreal, was
already sitting there. I went into the office and the lady refilled my
two bottles for me. A really nice, really short Indian lady. I ended
up getting a can of Sprite and a strawberry cheesecake ice cream bar
as well, but those cost money, whereas the water was free. Well worth
it though. The Crusher and I ate lunch at the motel, I had some nuts
along with my cold treats, and he also hooked me up with some natural
PB and a flatbread. I was nice and full after that.

There was a bit of a climb out of Wind Gap, but after it was all flat
again. That doesn't mean easy though, because the rocks were
everywhere. I know I've said this a lot, but there were just so many.
Probably the worst 7 mile section I've seen yet. Thank god I'll be in
NJ tomorrow, although I've heard that is rocky as well.

So for 7 miles there was nothing but rocks, until I came to Wolf Rocks
(more rocks), which was actually just fun boulder-jumping. Then it was
a quick 2+ miles to Kirkridge shelter. When I got there I met two new
hikers, Six Course and Likely. Likely ended up ordering pizza here, so
he shared it with The Crusher, Six Course, and I. Plus The Crusher and
I had come along some trail magic earlier that was specifically for
him from some girls he had met a few days before. There was hotdogs
and buns, so we carried that with us to the shelter. Pizza and hotdogs
for dinner, not your average hiker meal. I feel a bit spoiled tonight.

So I'll be in a new state tomorrow, but I might stay in the town right
across the border because there's a free hostel. I have a few things I
need to do (resupply, get new shorts, etc.), so a short 7 mile day
into town should allow me to do that, but who knows, I may do more
miles.

And Far Far, you are absolutely right about Palmerton. The Lehigh Gap
zinc smelting area is about a mile from it. You have a very good memory!

Total miles: 1278

My berry paradise.

Day 73 - 6/28/10
Had a strange night. During my sleep I was suddenly woken up by bright
flashes and booming thunder in the distance. Slightly out of it, I
struggled to quickly zip my tent vestibule to protect my gear from
getting wet because I thought any second it would start pouring. I
layed there and waited for the rain to come, but nothing did. I could
still see flashes and hear booms, but no rain. So then I decided I
should take advantage of the crazy show going on in the sky. I made my
way outside and just stood there watching the sky light up and hearing
the blasts. It was really neat, like watching a Revolutionary War
cannon battle from a distance. I went back in my tent after 5 minutes
and eventually fell back asleep after the thunder and lightning faded
away.

I woke up around 7:30 and saw that Ace had already left. She was going
to meet her boyfriend by a certain time at some road crossing I guess.
She left a note and an orange she got from that crazy guy yesterday,
which was a nice compliment to my breakfast of oatmeal, a clifbar, and
salami. I started hiking at 8:20, and took my first break at a shelter
6.8 miles away. It had a really nice piped spring nearby. I spent a
good hour there, preparing myself mentally for the climb up from
Lehigh Gap that I would be doing shortly. In my book it is described
as a "Rocky climb...deforested ridge due to zinc smelting from
1898-1980". When I made it there it was exactly what you'd expect from
that description. I think I hiked it at the perfect time though
because normally you'd be baking in the sun because it's completely
exposed, but when I went up there was a light drizzle, just enough to
cool you down, but not enough to make the rocks slippery. It was a
really fun climb, so Pennsylvania just earned a few more points in its
favor.

After that you skirt the side of the mountain for a while, and that's
when I came to the berry paradise. First were the thousands of black
raspberries. I literally could grab a clump of 5-6 in each handful,
and I did that at least 20 times. Finally I had to tell myself to stop
because it was slowing me down too much. Then I went through the
blueberry patch, and that was just as amazing. Again I could grab
clumps off at a time, and all ripe ones. So sweet and juicy. That
really made my day. Also the rain I had gone through earlier had moved
on, and I watched from the top of the mountain as it moved along. It
was neat, I actually could see the rain streaks coming down from the
cloud, could see exactly where it was raining.

I made it to Little Gap Road around 3:20, and decided to take a mini
snack break. Had a Snickers and some mixed nuts. From there to Smith
Gap Road was a long boring stretch with no water and lots of poison
ivy. Kind of annoying. I'm always trying to think of new things, keep
myself entertained during the dull parts, and it's amazing what
memories your mind uncovers when you have hours on end to dig. Today I
just remembered this time in high school when Big C had cornrows. I
think he was planning to take them out, so we undid a few of the back
ones, and soon realized it was mullet-esque. After undoing all the
back ones he put a hat on and it looked like he had a legit mullet. We
went over to the sports complex where some game was going on, baseball
or something, and everyone laughed hysterically at Big C's faux-mullet
thing. I hadn't thought about this in years, but when it hit me on the
trail I almost laughed out loud to myself. So boring parts sometimes
help unearth great memories.

At Smith Gap, around 6:10, I met a hiker and hiked with him down to
the guy's house I had mentioned in yesterday's post. I got here and
gave $5 dollars to get a hot shower in his house, a trip into town for
some grub (hot wings and fries), and a ride back up to the trail in
the morning, which I think is the best part because it was a 1 mile
hike downhill to this place. Plus he has a spigot out back, which I
plan on taking out 5 liters with me because there's very few places
from here to the PA-NJ border. Anyway it's late, so I'm off to bed. A
shorter day tomorrow, maybe 17 or so.

Total miles: 1260.7

Rattlers & (Easy) Bake Ovens.

Day 72 - 6/27/10
Woke up around 6:00 to rain falling on my tent. I quickly undid the
vestibule door I had tied up and zipped my tent shut to prevent my
belongings from getting any more wet. I decided since it was raining
to just go back to bed, so I didn't get up for another few hours. It
was actually nice to sleep in a little.

I left there about 9:30ish and started with a nice uphill. I got to
the top where there was a viewspot called Dan's Pulpit. It had a
little mailbox nearby with that written on it, so I had to take a
picture. After all, it's my pulpit. From there on out the trail became
intermittently rocky, some small, some big, some jagged, some smooth.
Lots and lots of rock today.

About 1.5 miles from the shelter I saw my first wild rattlesnake.
Actually I heard him first. It's hard to describe the sound other then
saying it was like a rattle. I guess the closet thing I could compare
it to would be one of those rainsticks. So I heard the rattle, look to
my left, and see a 4-foot rattler 10 ft. away. Midsection thicker than
my clenched fist. Yellow eyes staring right at me. Mad as heck. I
didn't want to get too close, so I wasn't able to get any good photos,
but man was it cool. Had my adrenaline going.

I made it to the shelter about 1, stopping for lunch. A hiker I'd met
a few days ago named Strider was also there. We hung out, talking and
stuff, then Crusher and Hotfoot rolled in. I left close to 2, with
less then a liter of water after hearing from Strider how far away the
water was. I decidedtO could wait the 4 miles until this B&B you pass
that has a spigot. On the way there I met this crazy guy named Ray.
Religously crazy. He didn't get into it right away, but he baited me
into a conversation then slowly led it that way. I didn't really like
that, but I was trying to be polite. I was stuck hearing him talk at
least 10 minutes, then eventually got away. There's a time and place
for stuff like that, but the trail isn't one of them. At least when
you're mid hike.

I made it to the road crossing where the B&B was and walked over.
Decided to go in and get some food while I had an opportunity, plus I
could charge my phone. Ace was there, she had just eaten, so I sat and
joined her. Got some onion rings and a French dip sandwich. Not bad,
the O-rings were especially good, beer battered I think. I left at
about 4:30, but not before filling up all my water bottles and
camelbak. I left there with 5 liters (11 lbs.) because I knew from
word of mouth that the next shelter had bad water, and that was the
only source for at least 14 more miles.

I did the seven miles to Bake Oven Knob shelter, crossing some insane
rock sections to get there. Cliffs and boulder hopping through areas
with names like Knife Edge and Bear Rocks, but it was a fun challenge.
I camped a few hundred yds. past the shelter with Strider and Ace at a
cool spot off the trail a bit. Strider got a fire going and it was
nice to sit around while eating dinner.

I think I'm shooting for a 20 tomorrow to this place where a guy let's
you tent in his yard for free, plus he has an outdoor shower and water
spigot. Pretty sweet deal. So close to getting out of PA, only 45 more
miles. Can't wait.

Total miles: 1240.7

Mom. Dad. There's something I need to tell you. I'm pregnant.

Day 71 - 6/26/10
At least it seems that way with all these food cravings I'm having.
Anything from chocolate milk to Dr. Pepper to hamburgers. I go through
phases. And today I tried to satisfy my most recent craving, a
McDonalds Big Mac, but let me back up a bit first.

Woke up unsure what I'd be doing for the day. I hadn't set any goal
the night before, something I usually do, which was kind of nice for a
change. A goal came soon enough though when a couple (thru-hikers from
'07 who actually met on the trail) rolled up to the Pavillion and
handed out sodas, Gatorade, and hard boiled eggs. Then they told us
they were doing a hiker feed a few shelters away later on in the day,
about 15 miles. So that's what I decided to shoot for.

Like I said I've been really wanting a Big Mac, so I rode into town
with a couple other hikers in the Cabela's shuttle at 9am. It dropped
us off at the store, which I had no interest in, so I immediately
walked over to the McDonalds a few hundred yds. away. When I got
inside the first thing I did was look for an outlet to charge my
phone, but no luck. Since it was too early to order off the lunch menu
I decided to try the BK across the street and see if they had any
outlets. I got inside and thankfully found one. Since I was using
their electricity I felt obligated to give them some business, so I
bought breakfast. Had some hashbrowns and mini cinnamon rolls with
coffee.

I was there for a while before other hikers started rolling in. Black
& Tan, a guy I had just met at the Pavillion the night before, came in
to get some eats and charge his phone too. We talked for a while about
philosophy, pretty fun convo. At 10am you can start ordering off the
lunch menu, so since I was already there I decided to get myself a
Whopper Jr. as an appetizer to my Big Mac. A warm-up if you will. It
tasted very good.

Some others rolled in and they got food too. I guess there's some
Twilight related contest going on right now at BK, so they have those
peel-off game pieces. One of the other guys won a free Whopper, but
since he had just eaten one he didn't want to use it, so he gave it to
me. Sweet. But now I was in a dilemma because if I had the Whopper
then I wouldn't be able to eat a Big Mac too. However this one was
free, so I went for it, then added a large fry and Hershey Pie to the
order. All in all I had quite a lot of food at BK. I still didn't
satisfy my craving though, so I'll have to do up a Big Mac somewhere
further up the road.

I got a ride back to town from a nice guy named Jeff. He works (or
maybe volunteers...I forget) for the fire department there in town. He
dropped me off at the post office, which is right across from this old
timey barbershop. As I was situating my pack an older guy walked out
of the barbershop and told me there was water inside if I needed any.
Since I did I went in, and there was one barber doing a haircut. I got
talking to him, and on a whim decided to get my hair cut. It's gotten
pretty long since I started back in April, and with this heat it gets
so sweaty and gross. I went to the ATM down the road to get cash for
it, and when I came back the older guy who had told me about the water
was inside. Turns out it was his place, and the other barber was his
son. A regular father/son barbershop operation they've got going. So
the father gave me the cut, and he seemed really proud of it too,
telling me how good I looked. The son pulled out a guitar and did some
mellow free-jamming while the father cut my hair, and I started
getting really relaxed and comfy, so much so that I almost fell asleep
in the chair. It made leaving and going on to hike a bit tough for the
first 1/2 mile or so. I'm so glad I did it, my head felt ten times
cooler, and much less sweaty. And in case you're wondering, the beard
is still fully intact. I made sure he didn't mess with that.

The hike out of Port Clinton was steep, and rocky, and full of poison
ivy. Thanks Pennsylvania, once again you've proven your cruddiness.
Once I got to the top it was flat for a while, then took a couple dips
up and down, and then leveled off again for a spell. Then I had a
steep rocky uphill to this decent viewspot called Pulpit Rock. I saw
Ace up there, so I stopped, had lunch, and talked with her. She was
doing a slackpack, headed to the hiker feed as well. When I started up
again I did 2 miles to another nice viewspot called the Pinnacle.
Supposedly it's the best view you get on the AT in PA. I'd have to say
it's definitely the best I've seen in this state thus far, but that's
not saying much. Nothing to beat really. But it was a nice spot, so at
least PA isn't all bad. After that the miles started flying, and I did
5.3 to the shelter where the feed was in an hour and 40 minutes. The
name of the place is Eckville shelter, and it's literally on a road so
they have a house nearby where the maintainer lives, much like the 501
shelter I stayed at a few nights ago. This shelter isn't as nice (so
I'm camping), but the shower is way better and there's actually a
flushing toilet...Score!

So the hiker feed was awesome, with steak & cheeses, sodas, chips, and
cookies. They did a great job putting this all on. It was a nice
evening hanging out and just talking, and I met some new people here,
including two hiking couples both from Maine. One couple was from
Waterville and the other from Gorham. Lots of Mainahs out here, ah-
yuh. Anyway, after eating I set up my tent, then showered, then just
hung out talking to everyone. Did that until about 9:30, then thought
I'd better get to this before it was too late and I'd be tired.
Haven't set any goal for tomorrow, but I kind of want to take it easy.
I was supposed to do that today, but I got on the trail after 12 and
rushed to make the feed, so it wasn't all that leisurely. Guess we'll
see what happens tomorrow.

Total miles: 1223.3

Double Dew-ty.

Day 70 - 6/25/10
Went further today then I had planned on, even after hitting a couple
snags. I think the double dose of trail magic I got today is what did
it. But I'll get to that later.

Slept decent, not as well as I had hoped. But I was up and gone by 8,
not too bad. I was the last one to leave though, which doesn't happen
that often. The hiking started off rocky and it stayed that way for
much of the day. I did a few miles, then came to this enormous boulder
field. It was really cool, just a massive spillage of giant rock down
the hillside, and it seemed as though the trail went right up over it.
When I started climbing/hopping along, that's when it went from cool
to frustrating. After making it a third of the way up I still hadn't
seen any blaze, so I started getting concerned. I dropped my pack,
retraced my steps to where I'd started, and saw that the trail did not
actually go over the boulders. I missed a double blaze, which are used
to signify a sudden turn. So I had to go back up, get my pack, then go
back down again. I was a bit peeved about all that. After a few
minutes I was over it, and so continued onward.

The trail became very flat and boring after that. Still rocky, just
very dull. Pennsylvania is my least favorite state thus far. No
sights, rocky, poison ivy, boring, etc. It gets the lowest ranking on
my list. Anyway, I hiked for a while until I came to 183 (a road)
where there was a cooler with a bunch of sodas. I grabbed a Dew,
mountain that is, crossed the road, and enjoyed it in the shade. Nice
little caffeine buzz.

Then it was back in the flat, rocky woods. I hiked for a few more
hours, stopping when I came to a sign that said "Trail Magic" and was
pointing down a blue-blazed trail. I saw a couple other hikers heading
down there, so I followed, and in 200 yds. came to a treasure trove of
sodas in a stream. I'm talking at least 50 cans of soda, and all
different kinds. I had to take pictures there were so many. I grabbed
another Dew, and did that one. Get it? It sure was a nice surprise
getting two of those in one day.

After that I soon passed the first shelter of the day, Eagle's Nest. I
think it's a little absurd that the first shelter you come across
after leaving the 501 is over 15 miles away. And Pennsylvania has
measly camping, so it's a little rediculous to have them that far from
one another. Anyway (enough of my ranting) it was only about 3:30 when
I passed there, and since Port Clinton was only another 8, I started
considering doing a few extra miles more than I had planned to make it
in.

At around 6 I stopped at a small campsite for a short break. I was
still on the fence about going into town, so I was sort of scoping the
site for camping possibilities. While there a hiker passed, saw me,
and so stopped in. His name was Boo Boo, and we talked for a while,
and because of him I decided to go into town. He said there was a
bunch of leftover food at the Pavillion (a place you can tent out for
free in town) where there had been a hiker feed earlier that day.
Sounded good to me. We hiked together the whole way in, talking a lot
about trail stuff since we had never met before. It's cool to hear
about someone else's experiences along the way, especially at this
point, being so far along and all.

We made it to the pavillion around 8, and all his buddies were there.
At least 6 other hikers. I met a few of them, then got to making
dinner. I had Alfredo with chicken and bacon, pretty good. Add on to
that all the leftover snacks I ate, chips, cookies, celery, dried
apples, and I'd say I ate rather well tonight. A lot of the other guys
here left to go to some pool party, so I just did my thing, eating and
setting up my tent for bed and all that. It's almost ten, and my feet
and body are tired after doing such big miles on all the rocks. It
takes a toll on your feet, but you don't really notice until the end
of the day when they're super sore. Going to do a shorter day
tomorrow. Now it's time for bed.

P.S. Hanna, I've been meaning to tell you something for a while now
and I wanted to write it on you're blog, but haven't had a chance yet
to sit at a real computer to do it. Anyway, just wanted to let you
know I'm trying to follow yours as well, and you can rest assured that
when I get home I will be feverishly reading to catch up on any and
all of your adventures that I've missed. I love reading your stories,
and I didn't want you to think I wasn't interested. Hope you're having
fun out there wherever you are!

Total miles: 1208.1

Celebrating a milestone.

Day 69 - 6/24/10
Didn't sleep well. It seems like every other night is a bad sleep, but
that means I should sleep well tonight. I had a good start time
though, left just before 7, so I made between 4-5 miles by 9. I
stopped at Rausch Creek to fill up on water at this well that was
doing some experiments with the pH level. Since it was all sciencey I
figured it was good water, so I got two fresh liters.

After that I continued on, stopping a short time later at Swatara Gap
where Churchill and Winston were sitting/breaking. They had decided to
go into town in a few miles, so when they left we had a farewell
because you never know if you'll see someone again. I was still going
for another 10+ miles, which would put a good space between us. I
stayed there a while snacking, and pretty soon Pyro and Ace showed up.
We all hiked together for 1/2 a mile, stopping when we came to a
cooler full of trail magic drinks! I had a Coca-cola and read the
register they had there. Someone had come upon it about a week earlier
when it was empty, and in the register wrote "trail tragic". That made
me laugh.

After downing the Coke, Pyro and I hiked on, passing under I-81 and
then coming to a big climb. By this point it was almost 12, so we were
sweating something terrible going up. Plus it was rocky, and then
poison ivy started showing up everywhere. When I was at Evelyn's she
gave me a poison ivy lesson so I'd be able to identify it on the
trail. I'm glad we did that because I've been able to avoid it much
better. But the problem today was that there was so much of it you
could not avoid it entirely. It was overgrown on both sides so your
legs were always brushing against at least one side. It was like that
for more than 2 miles, and is by far the worst section of poison ivy
I've seen on the trail so far.

Pyro and I hiked through that for a while, then we saw clouds coming
in and could hear thunder in the distance. We had heard from an older
guy a while back that we would be getting afternoon thunderstorms, so
we dropped our bags and covered up. Pretty soon after that it began to
rain, and the thunder grew louder, but fortunately we were on the
outskirts of the storm, so it was refreshingly pleasant rather than a
pain.

It seemed like a long time to the William Penn shelter, but we
eventually got there around 2:30. We stopped and had a late lunch, and
by then the rain was gone, so it was a nice time to break. We ended up
staying almost an hour, and in that time Ace showed up. When I left I
only had another 4 miles to the 501 shelter, so I got myself 1 more
liter of water and headed out. The 4 miles were easy, but because it
had rained and the sun had come back out, it was incredibly hot and
muggy. I was very sweaty and having bad chafe. I never said this but a
while ago I did end up going commando, maybe 2 weeks now, and it has
been amazing. I don't get as hot and sweaty down there, and now my
swim trunks dry much faster. But when it rains I'm wet for extended
periods, hence the chafe today. It was actually very unbearable, so I
was dying to get to 501 shelter and take a nice shower to clean up.

I made it and there was only 1 hiker here, an older guy named Charlie.
I talked to him for a second, then ran to the solar shower and took
care of business. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been
able to shower tonight. I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep,
that's how bad my chafe was. Eventually others started rolling in, a
couple I met today named Limestone & Mrs. Limestone, Eddy (another
German), Pyro, and Ace. This shelter is really nice, it's an old
pottery studio, so it's very close to a main road. Because of this you
can order pizza here. We all decided to order food, to celebrate a big
milestone today. I (and everyone else) am now under 1000 miles to
Katahdin. Triple digits baby! I almost can't believe it. Katahdin
feels much closer tonight then it did this morning. Funny how that is.

The pizza was good, I actually had a sausage, onion, and green pepper
calzone, and some Coke. We all ate outside at the picnic table, having
a nice time chatting whilst eating. Now I'm very tired and ready for
bed. My ankles look like they're getting poison ivy now, which scares
me. I really really don't want to deal with that again, but there was
no way I could completely avoid contact today. Let's hope I can keep
from scratching. Fingers crossed.

P.S. The Brits grill the bananas in tin foil Judy. Cut a slit along
the curve, stick the desired amount of chocolate in there, then wrap
in tin foil and grill. Let me know how it turns out.

Total miles: 1184.4

Another hot one.

Day 68 - 6/23/10
Had a nice sleep in my tent, much better than I had in the shelter the
previous night. Woke up around 6 and left between 7 and 7:30. The
first stretch wasn't bad, a bit rocky, but I made a quick 4 or so
miles to the first shelter, Peters Mountain. I met several new hikers,
The Fireman and Mudfoot, a couple. Mudfoot's sister and mother were
also joining them for a few days. I stuck around for a bit, signed the
register, then moved on. I had less then a liter of water left, but
the water at the shelter was down 300 steep stone steps. Say that
three times fast. So I decided to wait until a spring 6+ miles away.
Needless to say I ran out before that, so when I got there I drank
about 2 liters right quick. Winston & Churchill and Ace were already
there, so I joined them and ate lunch. Had a nice break with all of
them.

We all left at different times, taking our time because it was just so
hot. It was so hot, even the rocks were sweating. It sounds like a
joke, but I'm serious. So I left around 1pm, and had 2 liters to get
me the 7+ miles to the camping area I planned on staying at. It was a
1000 ft. climb for 3 miles, so by the time I made it up there I had 1
liter left. Then it was ridge for the rest, but when we (Winston, Ace,
Pyro, and I) all got to Yellow Springs Village Site, there was no
water to be found! Now we were stuck because we were all running low.
The only option was to keep going, and hopefully something would turn
up. Thing was, all our books said the closest water source was the
next shelter, 4.5 miles away. So we were extremely bummed out, hot,
and not wanting to move on, but what choice did we have?

Maybe a 1/2 mile we came to a trickling spring, tiny, but good enough
to use. Saved! It was such a good feeling to find that water. After we
all filled up Winston went back to see if Churchill was up by that
campsite yet. I waited with his pack while Ace and Pyro went on to
find a camp spot. When Winston returned he said he'd seen Churchill,
so he was going to stay by the water and cook dinner while he waited
for him. I told him I was moving on, then went to catch up to the
other two.

Less then a mile later I saw them setting up tents in the woods, so I
pulled in and did the same. Made some dinner, ate as much as I could
to take away some of this weight, then cleaned up and got into my
tent. After a hot day (90s), I was ready to just call it a night.
Everyone else did the same. I feel so gross and sticky, this heat is
really tough. What I wouldn't give to get some of that cooler weather
I had back in April. I only hope the more North I get the less hot
it'll be. Now for some reading to cap the night.

After reading for a bit I found a part where the book became very
relatable to what I've been going through lately. Here's the excerpt:

"'O!' said Bilbo, and just at that moment he felt more tired than he
ever remembered feeling before. He was thinking once again of his
comfortable chair before the fire in his favourite sitting-room in his
hobbit-hole, and of the kettle singing. Not for the last time!"

I've been thinking a lot about the comforts of home, and the people
and things that I'm really beginning to miss. At this point how can
you not? Sometimes it makes me feel better, something to look forward
to when I'm finished, and sometimes it worsens my mood, as if I'm
missing out or how much easier things would be for me were I at home.
Guess it depends on how I'm feeling that day. But Tolkien said it
perfectly. Certainly not the last time I'll be having those thoughts.
Anyway, that's it for today.

Total miles: 1163 (+/- .5)

Grillin' nanners.

Day 67 - 6/22/10
I didn't sleep well in the shelter. It was hot, and I tossed and
turned all night. I couldn't believe when I woke up at 6am and almost
everyone was gone. These older guys are real early risers. I made it
out at 7:15, a very good starting time, and I was the last one to leave!

I did a quick 4 miles into Duncannon, about an hour and a half of
hiking. This town is kind of strange, it felt somewhat deserted as I
walked through. Just not a lot going on. I stopped into a convenience
store and resupplied myself with some new Gatorades, then walked over
to the Doyle Hotel where my mail drop was. When I got there another
hiker told me I'd have to wait until 11 when the bar opened to pick it
up, so I thought I'd go over to the library in the meantime to kill
time. Then he tells me that isn't opened. Great. So I ended up going
over to this breakfast place called Goodie's where pretty much
everyone else was. Nothing much to do but wait. I ate with Ace, and
Winston & Churchill, getting some coffee and a cheap, but very tasty
breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns. It was only 10:30 when
I finished, so I thought I'd go over to the laundry and charge my
phone there while I waited on the Doyle. As I was leaving I met two
hikers, Bulldog and Hitchcock. Bulldog happens to be blind, and
Hitchhock is filming his whole experience along the trail. He doesn't
assist him though because Bulldog uses a GPS to navigate the trail.
Very cool, and they have a website. Hansonatcampaign.com. Check it
out, I know I'll be doing so when I get a chance.

I made it to the laundry and now everyone was there, so at this point
it seemed as though I was just following the pack. I plugged in my
phone for a charge, then sat around talking while I waited for it to
finish. At 11:15 the hotel/bar finally opened, so I went over there to
get my mail drop. Got a lot of new and interesting things to eat this
time, so thanks Mom. It took me a good while to go through that, so
when I finished it was past lunchtime, and it was raining outside, so
I got some lunch at the bar. A hamburger with a Dr. Pepper. While
eating I met a few new hikers, Barley and Legends of the Fall. Both
cool younger guys. Ace showed up a bit after, and stayed to keep out
of the rain as well.

While eating, Churchill came by and dropped off some apples and
oranges for Ace and I. He's been really nice to hike with, and very
generous as you can see. I finally made my way out of there at 2, my
bag now ultra heavy again with food, and walked a good mile and a half
through town. The trail goes right through it, and it's a long town.
By the time I made it to the woods again I saw Winston & Churchill
sitting near the trailhead, so I stopped and talked with them. Wanted
to see where they were planning on going. They stayed as I walked on.
It was a steep climb for a good 2.5 miles, and during that time I got
caught in a nasty thunderstorm. It drenched me in 2 minutes, then
disappeared in another 10. It was actually a welcome shower though
because it was at least 90 degrees out and I was so sweaty and gross.
A nice rinse really.

I came to the first shelter and waited for them, meeting and talking
with a flip-flopper who started in Harpers Ferry and was camped
nearby. When the Brits showed up Winston and I went to fetch water,
which was a bit of a climb downhill. When I came back it took me a
while to get situated, so they went on ahead without me. After a few
hours I caught up to them because they had pulled off into the woods
and had a campfire going. Churchill told Ace and I about how in
England they often grill bananas with chocolate buttons in them at
BBQs. He said he wanted to do some for us, and that's what I saw him
doing when I showed up! See how nice he is. Ace ended up coming up a
few minutes later, so we all decided to call it a day there and enjoy
the fire roasted bananas. When mine was ready I took one bite and was
blown away by how tasty it was. Something so simple, yet fantastic.
We'll have to do them at a Brewer BBQ, bring in some of that English
flare.

Afterward us 4 sat around the campfire and had a good chat about all
sorts of things, and I really enjoyed myself. Even though I didn't do
big miles today I'm really happy with where I ended up. That's one
thing we talked about, that you need to make sure you're still having
fun, and if that means an easier day here and there, then do it. If it
feels like a job then you know you need to take it a little easier or
it's just not any fun.

It's still really hot out, so I hope I'll be able to sleep. Supposed
to be 90s again tomorrow. Tough going in this heat. Gonna try to get
up early.

Total miles: 1144 (+/- .5)

Big breakfasts rule!

Day 66 - 6/21/10
Had an awesome sleep last night. The bed was super comfortable and
there was great AC. I woke up about 7:15, and by 8 o'clock I was all
packed up so I headed over to the dining area for the breakfast
buffet. It was only six bucks, a very good deal for what I had. Eggs,
bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy, cereal, and so much more. I actually
ate too much, so afterward I sat in the lobby and let my body digest
it. During that downtime I used the Resort's iPad, which was the first
time I'd even seen one. It was pretty cool, but sort of difficult to
use. I much prefer the iPhone. I felt well enough to leave in about a
1/2 hour, so I made it back to the trail by 10. Rather late start,
which was not what I had wanted to do because the heat was way up
there, but what can you do?

The first 10 miles flew by, and when I stopped at Scott Farm Trail
Work Center for water I still wasn't even hungry. Those big breakfasts
always last you a long time. I stayed there for a while to take
advantage of the spigot, probably downing close to 2 liters in a 1/2
hour span of time. Then I was back on the trail, and didn't stop for
about another 6 miles. I finally ate something, a Snickers and some
Nature Valley bars. Gotta say, not too shabby when your breakfast
lasts you for 16 miles.

When I continued on I soon passed what looked like a concrete bathtub,
and it was full of rain water for who knows how long. A frog, a very
big frog, was sitting on the edge, so I moved one of my poles toward
it. The frog made a strange noise, then leapt into the tub and
disappeared. It was amusing to me. After that was a bit of steep
uphill. Had me dripping in sweat. Then I made it to the ridgeline, and
soon was passed by a sketchy character going the other way. He had a
huge pack on, and a small pack on the front too. The combination
totally dwarfed him. I've met 2 other people with huge packs, so I'm
now confident in saying that these people are generally strange. I met
one guy in Damascus who was carrying at least 90 lbs. of stuff, and he
could easily have been homeless. He was a wierdo. Another guy who I
met at this one shelter was hiding out from police on the trail, or so
I heard later on. He had at least 70 lbs. So beware of the huge pack
people.

It started to become rocky on the ridge, and I've heard after
Duncannon is when they really start to show up, so the ones I had
today were just like an appetizer. I made it to the shelter I planned
on staying at, Cove Mountain, sometime around 6:30. Winston and
Churchill were both already here, tents up and everything. Another
hiker named Ohibro was too. There really was no places to tent, the
two Brits were tented in pretty bad spots, so I just took up a bunk in
the shelter. I got water and then made dinner, and in that time Pyro
(a sectioner) and Ace showed up. While eating we had such an intense
conversation about food. What me miss, our first meals when we get off
the trail, what we'll never eat again, and so on. Food is the #1 topic
of conversation out here, hands down. It's what everyone is constantly
thinking about, so it's hard not to talk about it.

Anyway, gonna call it a night now. Pretty tired after 21 miles in the
hot sun all day. I should be in Duncannon tomorrow by 9, where I have
a mail drop waiting. Since there's a library right close by I might
try to load some more pictures onto the blog. Then I'll be moving on
into rock country. That might change how fast I hike, so I'm not sure
how far I'll make it.

P.s. Ian, I passed Jim & Molly Denton shelter a while back, so I was a
little confused by what you meant. And the shower was broken when I
was there. A bit of a bummer. Nice shelter though.

Total miles: 1133.6

Boiling hot in Boiling Springs.

Day 65 - 6/20/10
Messed up the mileage yesterday. Total miles should have been 1100. I
had one to many 1's.

I also forgot to mention this in yesterdays post, but when I got to
the shelter Trashman was there. Not sure if you remember him, he's the
one who often packs out trash left behind at campsites. Anyway, I had
heard he was a retired Navy Seal, so I asked him about it while he,
Pyro, and I were sitting by the campfire. He told me all about it, his
career, and the places he lived because of the job. Puerto Rico,
Argentina, etc. Pretty amazing stuff really. It was a cool
conversation to have before bed.

I woke up this morning to a terrible stiff neck. It was painful enough
where I was considering not hiking, but I popped some ibuprofen, made
coffee, then started feeling better within a 1/2 hour. I was able to
get going by 8am, so not too bad. There was only 12 miles between me
and Boiling Springs, so I made pretty good time. There wasn't much
excitement during the 12-mile section, except one part where it was
very rocky and tough to climb through. Those parts are fun because
they take a lot of focus.

I made it about 10 miles, then hit some flat farmlands. I was walking
through vast cornfields for a few miles, and every so often I'd pass a
small collection of trees in the fields that shaded some blackberry
bushes. There were so many ripe ones because they had direct sunlight
almost all day, so I feasted once again. My hands were stained I ate
so many. Because I was so caught up in the awesomeness of fresh
berries I didn't notice the trail took a turn along a different
cornfield. I ended up walking at least a 1/2 mile, then realized I
hadn't seen a blaze in a while, so turned around and eventually
returned to where I made my mistake. I was a bit annoyed about all
that, but I was soon in Boiling Springs, so all was well once again.

I walked to the Mid Atlantic ATC buliding and saw Winston sitting
there. Talked to him for a bit, and found out he was waiting to see if
Churchill would show up. I told him how I'd been hiking with him
recently, and that he'd probably show up soon. Sure enough he was
there within a 1/2 hour, and Ace was with him. We hung out for a while
at the picnic table outside because they're actually closed on Sundays.

There's this place in town called The Allenberry Resort Inn &
Playhouse, and we all decided to go there and stay because they have
an exceptional hiker rate. Another reason was because the next shelter
is 14 miles away, and you're not allowed to camp anywhere in that
stretch because it's all private farmland. When we got there I was
impressed by the size of the place, so when I checked in I asked how
many acres they have. She said something like 57. It has a pool,
tennis courts, a playhouse for theater, and so much more, and I got a
room for only $20 plus tax.

I showered then hit up the pool right after. I didn't want to have a
brown dirt cloud following me around in the water so that's why I
showered first. It was very refreshing, and I was the only one in
there. Surprising considering it was like 90 degrees out. After the
dip I ended up going to late lunch/early dinner with the British duo
and Ace. We just went to the small pub here, but the food was good,
nice portions, and decently priced. It was nice to sit back and enjoy
a meal while feeling clean, and in good company.

Afterward I was able to talk with Jen for a bit, then I went back to
my room and got my stuff together for tomorrow. Planning on a 21+ day
so I can get into Duncannon early Tuesday morning. Also wanted to say
Happy Father's Day to my Dad. Hope you're having a good time in Popham
with the rest of the family. Wish I could be there with ya. Now it's
time for bed. Goodnight.

Total miles: 1112

I'd quote Bon Jovi, but I hate them to much to do it.

Day 64 - 6/19/10
So I'll just say it. I'm halfway there. Actually further then half. So
that was a major mental boost.

I woke up around 5:30 after getting very little sleep. That group that
came in late were so loud and didn't quiet down until 11:15. They had
no understanding of how to be respectful. When I woke up Churchill was
moving around, eating and all that, and he tried to put a positive
spin on it, saying it was amusing. That's one of the great things
about him, he always looks at the brighter side.

So I was out and hiking at 6:30. Didn't break until the first shelter,
Birch Run, sometime around 9:15. It was a very nice one so I took a
picture. My next break came in another 6 miles at the next shelter. I
had already done 13.5, and it was just past noon, so I decided to take
a longer break then I had planned on. Called Jen for a minute, which
was only just 9am for her. I think I woke her up. Whoops.

When I started up again it was less then a 1/2 mile to the halfway
point. Well the halfway point for 2009. There was a sign and
everything. It changes every year so they didn't have one up for 2010,
but I still took a picture. I soon came to a road and started walking
down that, and to my delight there were blackberry bushes all along
the sides. And many were ripe too, so I feasted, eating at least 50 or
so. Earlier in the day I had passed a lot of blueberry patches too,
and some of those were ripe enough to eat, so after getting two
different berries in one day I started feeling spoiled by mother nature.

I made it to Pine Furnace General Store around 2:00, and stopped in so
I could attempt the half gallon challenge. One of the traditions on
the trail is to see if you can eat a whole half gallon in one sitting,
right after crossing the halfway point. Halfway/half gallon, quite a
nice theme they've got. Anyway, I bought myself a tub of Moose Tracks
and started at 2:08. I finished at 2:42, a total of 34 minutes. I
didn't feel as sick as I imagined I would, but I wasn't on top of the
world either. As far as ice cream experiences go, it wasn't a fun one.
But I did finish so I got a little wooden spoon trophy for my hard work.

Because the ice cream put me in such a stupor, I didn't leave the
store until around 5. During that 3 hour period I did stop in at the
AT museum that just opened June 5th of this year, and is only a few
hundred yards from the Pine Furnace store. It had a bunch of cool
artifacts from the trail (like one of Earl Schaeffer's original Lean-
tos), stuff about famous individuals associated with it, and so on. I
guess in the 80's or sometime around there a guy hiked it with his
cat, carrying it the whole way. That was an amusing read. Reminded me
of Iguanaman yesterday. The museum was rather small, just one room,
but I really enjoyed it.

Like I said I left around 5, and made it to James Fry shelter at 8:15.
So I hiked 24.5 miles and ate a 1/2 gallon of ice cream all in one
day. Not many people can say they did that. Tomorrow I'll be passing
through Boiling Springs, PA. Trying to get in an 18 or so, that way
I'll be in Duncannon by the next day for my maildrop. Pretty tired and
full of dairy. Let's call it a night.

Total miles: 1110

6 down, 8 to go.

Day 63 - 6/18/10
Didn't sleep too well because I was paranoid about our sketchy camp
spot. And I woke up early to the sounds of Ace moving around, so we
were on the trail by 6:20. My second earliest start. We made it to Pen
Mar County Park pretty soon, and stopped to have breakfast because we
were in a hurry earlier and hadn't yet. I had oatmeal and a granola
bar. I also went and got a soda from the machine by the concessions,
and when I came back one half of the British duo was at the table.
Churchill this time. E's a real lovely chap. That's how he talks. I
love the words they use in speech that replace our American versions.
Cheers is thanks. Lovely is nice. Chap is guy. Me is my. Churchill is
particularly fond of using gorgeous to describe things. Later on in
the day he saw me eating PB and Nutella in a tortilla and called it
gorgeous. I love it. So he, Ace, and I ate breakfast and drank sodas
there at some picnic tables. Then Ace left cause she needed to head
into a town nearby to pick up a food drop, so it was just me and
Churchill. We talked for a while, and he pretty much convinced me I
need to make a trip over his way someday, which I plan to.

It was around 9am when I finally left. Less then a 1/4 mile away I
crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania. I finally feel like
I'm out of the South now! I have over a 40-mile buffer between us, aka
the state of Maryland. A very nice feeling. After a few hours I
stopped for a lunchbreak at these rocks, that's when Churchill saw me
eating and commented. When I packed up and continued I came to a
shelter within 10 minutes. Wish I had gone a little further before I
stopped to eat, then I would have had a picnic table to use.

The hiking was pretty flat for a stretch, not much happening. There
were a series of really close shelters all together, and then I came
to a road where a lady was getting ready to take her horse for a ride.
The horse was tied to the back of the carriage, and the lady was busy
getting something inside her car, so when I crossed the street the
horse freaked out at the sight of me, almost to the point where he was
up on his hind legs. I guess my massive beard is scary! It was a
little strange that the horse got so frightened, but the lady came
running over telling me it was just a young guy. Still getting
comfortable around people perhaps.

After that was a steep uphill, and it became very rocky. A mixture of
small rocks and massive boulders. Sometimes very hard to navigate
through. But it was also fun. Somewhere along there I met up with
Churchill again, and we talked about going to this pool at Caledonia
State Park further along the trail, and possibly getting some food at
the snack bar too. It was a ways off, but we were both very into the
idea so we agreed to meet up there whenever that would be.

He got ahead of me, and I didn't see him again until I made it there.
The rocks and heat were doing me in so I had to take more breaks than
usual. One of them I even stopped and layed out on some rocks,
reclining, which was very nice. After a little more rock climbing I
passed two girls who were just out for the day. When they found out I
was thru hiking they seemed very impressed. They were going south so
after I said goodbye I was on a bit of a high. When you run into
people who ask you a million questions and seem super impressed it
makes you feel really good, giving you a mini speed boost. At least it
does for me.

When I was getting close to US 30, right around where Caledonia SP
is, I see a guy coming up the hill. He stops me and starts asking
about water sources, and I'm telling him about it. Then I notice
something sitting on his pack. Something big. It takes me a second to
register that it's an iguana. An iguana! I ask him if it's real and he
says yes, so I snapped a picture of the craziness. It was a strange
site, seeing it just hanging out on top of his pack. I continued on
and soon made it to the park. I found Churchill, he had just arrived a
few minutes before, so we signed in to use the pool then went over and
jumped right in. It was so refreshing and absolutely "lovely" as he
kept saying. Then we got some food, I had a milkshake and awesome
french fries, like ones you would get at a fair. Really hit the spot.

We left at around 6:15, and I made it to Quarry Gap shelter at 7:30.
It's a swanky place. There's even potted plants hanging from the
porch. I set up my tent inside the shelter because I figured no one
else would be showing up. I was surprised when Ace pulled in at 8:30,
and I guess she wasn't able to hitch into town to get her mail, so she
did about an extra 3 miles putting her at 25 to get here. Around 9:15,
as I was typing this, an obnoxiously loud group pulled in. By this
time it was dark, and both Ace and Churchill were in bed, so I'm sure
they became instantly annoyed. As we speak they are being very loud
and talkative while setting up their tents right next to those two.
Should be interesting to hear their thoughts tomorrow. Better get to
bed myself, if I can that is. Goodnight.

Total miles: 1075.5

Late mornings make for late nights.

Day 62 - 6/17/10
Took my time getting started today, which was really nice for a
change. I woke up at 7:30, but didn't leave until two hours later at
9:30. One reason was because I took a shower at the campground
facilities. The water was so nice and hot I didn't want to leave.

After about an hour into my hike I stopped in at the original
Washington monument. It's not as large as the one in D.C. but it was
cool nonetheless. Stone structure with a winding staircase up to a
lookout where you can see some towns below. I took pictures, read all
the signs, then moved on. A little after that I passed a side trail
called Bartman Hill. I'm only mentioning this because I'm a Simpsons
fan and Bartman is Bart's superhero alter-ego. I even had a Bartman t-
shirt when I was younger.

Around 11:30 I passed over I-70, then soon made it to the shelter I
had been aiming for yesterday, Pine Knob. I stopped there for lunch,
and met a sectioner named Chick Magnet. He went from Springer to
Harper's Ferry last year and is trying to make it from Harper's to
Katahdin this year. So basically he just started a few days ago. Ace
came pulling in a few minutes later, so we all had lunch together. I
think it's worth mentioning now that I recently acquired a buttpad.
Someone had left their sleeping pad in the hiker box at the hostel I
stayed at in HF, so me and some other hikers cut it up and made a
bunch of them out of it. I've been using it the last two days and love
it. It makes any surface comfortable, rock, stump, log, anything. I
used it while eating lunch with them, and it even made the picnic
table better. It's super lightweight too. Hands down, my best hiker
box find yet.

I left at around 12:30, not much happening for a while. I did come
across a mouse carcass being torn apart by some strange beetles around
2pm. Stopped for a lunch break at 3, finishing the last few slices of
pizza I'd saved from last night. Very good. At 4 I made it to Ensign
Cowall shelter, and stopped for another quick break. Then continued on
until Devil's Racecourse shelter at 5:50. It was .3 off the trail, and
way down a steep hill. I had to go down though because I needed water
and wasn't sure when I'd see any again. I ended up making dinner down
there, but the shelter was so lousy and buggy I just packed up and
carried my dinner back to the trail. And the water source was cruddy
too, so I didn't even fill up. My dinner was a Mountain House meal,
lasagna with meat sauce, so it came in a prepackaged bag that you can
eat straight out of. That's how I was able to carry it along the
trail. It was very tasty too, for being freeze dried and all.

When I got back to the trail I passed a few people that looked like
locals. I asked if there was any decent camping up ahead. They gave a
somewhat hesitant response, so it didn't look promising. Just then Ace
came up the trail. I told her the news, so now we were both trying to
figure out the best option. The local people moved on, but gave me
some water before they left, which was really good because I was low.
While Ace and I were contemplating the next move she cooked up her
dinner. We ended up having a good conversation about the mid-state
doldrums, and how your thinking tends to go south more often. After
that we moved on, and we found a really cool spot pretty close that
had some cliffs where you could see the sunset. I went over to them
and saw two people there, what I would call weirdos, but they were
nice enough. They actually advised us to be careful because we were
close to a road where locals like to come up and party. With that in
our minds we decided to move on, even though by this point it was past
8. We didn't stop until 8:50, with the sun almost gone. We pretty much
had to set up right on the trail, at least she did. I was a little off
to the side. So we set up quick then hopped in our tents. This isn't
what I had planned on, I did a lot more miles then I had in mind, but
it sets me up better for my goal tomorrow. Very tired now.

Small notes. No side effects from the meds yet, which I am very happy
about. Also while I was driving down the highway with Not Worthy last
night he pointed out the rest stop where the D.C. sniper was captured
a few years ago. Uncle G, I remember you were down there when that was
going on, and you also mentioned in a comment recently that you worked
near/in Frederick. I think we were driving right around there when he
pointed out that rest stop. Pretty crazy. Anyway, past my bedtime.
Goodnight.

Total miles: 1053.5 (+/- .5)

Happy Days on the AT.

Day 61 - 6/16/10
Today was just one of those days where you're so happy to be on the
AT. Even the cruddy parts of the day don't drag you down.

I woke up this morning, looked over at the clock and nearly fell out
of bed. 10AM!!! I ran over to my phone that was charging and checked
the time, letting out a huge sigh of relief when I saw 8:00 pop up on
the screen. From the angle I was at in bed the time looked different,
or maybe I was just way out of it. Anyway, I slept great, the bed was
super comfortable with real linens and everything. Awesome AC too. I
waited around until 8:50, then walked up to the ATC to check if my
bandana was there. I couldn't find it last night, and I remembered
taking it off after I had taken my picture. When I got to the ATC
Timber, Safari, and Rabid were just checking in and getting their
photos done. (Btw, didn't mention this yesterday, but I was NOBO thru
hiker #355 to go through Harper's this year) They didn't find my
bandana anywhere, so I went back down to the Inn, and found it tucked
deep into a pocket of my pack. Made the trip for nothing.

Then I grabbed a nice breakfast at the place next door, joining both
Dodger and Ace who I saw sitting there. I had found out a few days
before that Dodger also knew Not Worthy, but had met him last year
when NW was doing his section from Springer to Fontana Dam. Crazy how
small the world seems some times. I guess NW was going to meet Dodger
tomorrow at Bear's Den (he's SOBOing for a few days), and I was
telling him how I was trying to meet up with Not Worthy as well. I
looked at my guidebook and figured out where I thought I'd be tonight,
then sent him an e-mail about it while sitting there at the breakfast
table. In it I said I'd check my phone later in the afternoon to see
if it was going to work out. After eating I rushed out of there and
hurried to get going. It was already 10:15, and I wasn't even close to
leaving.

I ended up getting out right at 11, which was pretty late considering
the shelter I told Not Worthy I was aiming for was 23 miles away. The
first couple miles was very flat and nice. I crossed the Potomac River
on a railroad bridge, and while doing so saw a crane swoop down below
onto a small sandbar in the middle of the river. I don't think I've
seen one of those before, so I thought it was very cool. Then I was on
this dirt path also used for biking. The railroad followed parallel
alongside it, and so I knew at some point the trail would have to go
across it. When it came to that time I had to wait for two trains to
go by, so I ended up calling my Mom and working out my next maildrop.

After that I hiked for a good stretch, up one mountain, then it got
mostly flat up there near the ridge. Took a short break, then moved
on, and didn't stop until I came to this parking area slash exhibit.
It was a bunch of Civil War related stuff, so I read some of the
signs, reading about the buildings and battles and so on. I'm not a
huge history buff, but getting a chance to go through and see actual
historical places is making me want to be one and learn more. And I
hope I will when I'm off the trail. As I'm walking past the restrooms
I see a couple coke machines, so I walk over to see if I want to get
one. Sitting in the little dispenser is a cold soda, Vault, which is
similar to Mt. Dew. It's just sitting there! I don't know if it was a
screw-up or someone doing clever trail magic, but I yoinked (grabbed)
it for later. If it wasn't a vending machine error then thank you to
whomever did that.

I keep walking and see a few hikers sitting at some picnic tables, so
I went over to say hello and found out they were a father/son section
hiking team. Really nice guys. They told me it was supposed to hail
around 5 (!), which I had not heard, so I was a little worried by the
news. I hurried along, not only for that but also because it was about
3:30 and I still had some big miles to make if I wanted to make that
23 mile shelter. You know that movie Jurassic Park? Of course you do.
Well remember the scene where they're in the car, and they hear a low,
distant rumble, and the water in the cup shakes? Then it happens
again, but louder and harder shaking? Well that's what it was like
when I heard the thunder coming. First a low distant boom that got
louder and progressively closer, like a T-Rex. The father/son team
caught up to me pretty quick after that. They were trying to rush it
to the shelter to beat the weather. We stayed together for a while,
but then the rain hit. They stopped to put on rain jackets but I just
kept moving. It rained hard for about 15 minutes, then let up. It was
the strangest thing too, because after it started raining less, the
sun came out, and there was a period of time where it was bright and
sunny, but with rain still coming down. Very peculiar.

I made it to the next shelter at 5, and decided since it had stopped
raining that it was okay to take out my phone and check to see what
Not Worthy was going to do. He had written back and said that he could
meet me, and that I-70, the road right before the 23 mile shelter, was
one of the best places I could have picked to meet him. The only
problem was I was still 7.5 miles from there. I gave him a call, and
we worked out a different plan. We decided on meeting at Reno Monument
Rd. aka Fox Gap. It was only a mile from the shelter I was currently
at, so I told him I'd be there in less than a 1/2 hour. I rushed over,
and just before the road I came upon an awesome patch of wild
blackberries. Plenty of ripe ones, so I grabbed about a dozen and
scarfed. Berrylicious. I came to the road, and while I waited I looked
at a bunch of signs there about the Civil War. It's called Reno
Memorial Rd. because Union general Reno was mortally wounded there
during a battle. It's funny because a Confederate general was also
mortally wounded in the same battle very close by, and I bet if the
South had won the road would be named after him instead.

Not Worthy showed up about 10 minutes after I did. It was cool to see
him again, it felt like such a long time ago but was really only a
little over a month. He took me into town and treated me to Pizza Hut,
very nice of him. I told him when he finishes up in a few years I'm
going to meet him somewhere in Maine and do the same for him. While we
ate we talked a lot about the trail and some of the memories of "the
old days". After eating he brought me back to the trail and I said
goodbye. I didn't take the leftovers, but he said he was going to drop
them off at the Dahlgren Backpack Campground 1 mile up the trail that
I was now going to stay at. By this time it was 8:30 and I was cutting
it close on daylight. In the time it took me to hike there he had just
driven over and dropped off the pizza with some other hikers who were
here. So I saw him again one more time, and said goodbye once again.
Not Worthy if you read this thanks again, I really appreciate all you
did and it was great to see you again. You are Worthy in my book.

I set up my tent, then hurried to get settled in so I could start
writing this up. It's a very long one. Sorry. But it was just a great
day, one that makes you so happy to be on the AT.

A couple small things. One, I cut my mustache a bit, or trimmed it
rather. It was getting a bit unruly, and causing me some problems
while eating, especially saucy foods. Two, Harper's Ferry has a train
that takes you right into DC, so I think it'd be cool to take that in
and stay in the city for a few days sightseeing. That can be tacked
onto the vacation idea I mentioned in the previous post.

Total miles: 1031.3

Psychologically speaking, I'm halfway there.

Day 60 - 6/15/10
Very happy with my start today, was up and out by 6. I think that's
the earliest yet. I finished up my ride on the rollercoaster, about 4
miles. The nice thing about it too was that I finished by 8am in semi-
cool weather. Actually the whole day was pretty cool, to the point
where I was cold if I stopped. Partly due to the drizzling rain we had
for most of the day, and partly because of my damp sweaty clothes.

I bypassed the Blackburn AT Center, my goal from the previous day that
I didn't reach (blast that infernal Bears Den!!! Just kidding), but
stopped in at David Lesser Memorial shelter for lunch. Thank god I did
too because I had an urge to #2 out of nowhere, and almost didn't make
it. I don't ever want to cut it that close again. So I had lunch, and
another hiker named Avatar pulled in. He started right around the same
time as me, but I had really only met him briefly before. We talked
for a while, and I asked him about all these hikers we both knew from
way in the beginning. He had seen them more recently than me so he
filled me in.

I left, then did the next 9.2 right into Harper's Ferry, the
psychological halfway point. So long, Virginia! Glad to be done with
you. Although we had some good times, I think it'd be for the best if
we don't see each other again for a while. Please don't take offense.
Anyway Harper's Ferry is very cool, so much rich history here that I'm
convinced I'll return someday just to learn about and experience all
of that. I've already got a future vacation planned that starts in
Waynesboro (for Ming's buffet of course), goes through Skyline drive,
then ends here in historic HF. Not a bad trip, eh?

I went to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), and did my picture
for the records. They have everyones picture from all the past years,
not even sure how far back it goes. It was neat to look through and
see some people I recognize from this years. After that I went down to
the outfitters for a few things, a hat, sunscreen, and new socks. Then
I met up with Yul (the Mule), Toothpick, and Little Aspen at this bar/
pub for late lunch early dinner. The latter two are a couple from
Maine, both very cool. I met them my last day in the Shenandoahs. Yul
I know from a ways back. So I had a burger and a soda, both very good.
They actually had Mr. Pibb, which I couldn't resist.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to hike on or stay in town, and as time went
by I found myself not moving. I decided to check a nearby hostel,
Town's Inn, to see if there was any spaces left, but they were full
up. The thing was, some of the spots were being reserved. By then it
was close to 7:30, so it was getting pretty late to hike on. I
lingered around because I had a feeling that the hikers might not
show, and by 9:30 they still hadn't so I was able to get a bunk after
all. I told myself after tonight I won't stay in a hostel for a long
time, I'm starting to get spoiled and too comfortable. I need to get
back to the woods! Gotta say though, this is a very cool place. Small,
but cozy and inviting.

I've decided no 4-state challenge for me, which you probably guessed
by now considering that I'm already in Harper's. This decision was
mostly based on the fact that I started taking the Lyme disease
medication. I'm still not sure if I have it, but the tick bite hasn't
disappeared, and it's larger, more red, and very itchy. After a few
consultations I went ahead and decided to start the meds. Hopefully I
don't get any of the negative side effects. That was why I bought the
hat and sunscreen, to ward off the increased sensitivity to sunlight.
Guess I'll be sporting a new look for a couple weeks!

Total miles: 1014

Rock n' Rollercoaster

Day 59 - 6/14/10
Today started well enough, better than the past few days. I was packed up, had eaten, and was on my way before 8am. Within a mile I came to a sign that signified the beginning of the rollercoaster, "13.5 miles of tightly packed ascents and descents" as my guidebook put it. I had heard a lot about this thing, even from Ian (my thru-hike gear and advice guide), so it had really been built up. It was tough, and is pretty much exactly what you'd think when you hear the name, but I also found there to be some flat sections dispersed throughout the peaks and valleys, which made it less evil than I thought it would be.

I plowed over several of the bumps and got to the first shelter (Sam Moore) a bit before 11. It was seven miles away, so I was very happy with that speed considering the terrain. I had lunch there with LoRod and Insane, a sectioner I met last night at Rod Hollow. He's not as crazy as you would think considering his name. I stayed for a little over a 1/2 hour, and after enjoying a tortilla with tuna salad, a dark chocolate Snickers, and some trail mix, I was on my way.

I had already been pouring out sweat from that first 7 miles, but man I was really soaked during the next few. Like my pants and boxers were dripping from all the water. I would stop and streams of sweat would start pouring off my elbows. The humidity was way up there, and with all the ups and downs it was even more tough to deal with. I had been craving a soda since yesterday when I had heard about (and missed) that trail magic. There was a hostel coming up, Bear's Den, where I would be able to get one , and since it was only .2 off the trail I figured it was worth the trip to satisfy my craving.

I ended up getting there a little after one, and found myself walking around back to the "hiker lounge". There was a code you needed to get in, and so a guy comes out, Red Wing, and tells me the code. He's the manager of this place, which is actually ATC owned. I let him know I'm just going to get a couple sodas then leave, but as time went by I found myself having a hard time leaving. An hour goes by, and I was still there. But you have to cut me some slack because this place is amazing, tons of bunks, amazing AC, sodas, resupply options, pizza and B & J's ice cream (if you wanted to spend a little extra $) and so much more. Did I mention that it's a stone castle? Well it is. And that's very cool too.

I ended up deciding to stay, which wasn't my plan at all, but you have to be adaptable, especially for a place like this. These types of hostels don't come around often. Plus I was in dire need of laundry after all these humid, sweaty days. I'm considering going commando tomorrow to see how that feels because I just can't deal with another day of wet boxers underneath my swim trunks. They never get dry, so the whole day you're hiking in wetness and chaffing.

I also decided to do a few of the extras here, so now I'm full of pizza and soda, and my laundry is currently being spun. Now that I'm here I'm also considering the 4-state challenge once again, because if I leave here I could set myself up nicely right at the border. The border is a little less than 18 miles away, so who knows. Then again if I do attempt it then I will have to rush through Harper's Ferry very early in the morning, probably around 5am, and I will miss the opportunity to get my picture taken and logged at the ATC. Man, so many tough decisions in these next couple days. Regardless of all that, I will be finishing the rollercoaster tomorrow. That's at least one comforting thought.

Total miles: 993.7

Awkward people.

Day 58 - 6/13/10
There's defintely a fair share of them out here. You can be walking
along, or show up to a shelter, and you meet someone new for the first
time, but they won't say anything or hardly acknowledge that you're
there. I don't mind being the one to introduce myself first, but I
don't want to have to be that guy EVERY time. Sometimes it's nice to
be the one that is approached. Maybe my beard is scaring people away,
who knows.

Anyway I was out and moving by 8:30, another pretty late start. It's
getting harder and harder to wake up early. The heat perhaps? The
first shelter, Manasas Gap, came in 5.5 miles, so I took a break there
with Biscuits & Gravy, and Homebrew. Nice time chatting with all them.
The next shelter was in 4.5, Dick's Dome, so I stopped in there and
had lunch. Been enjoying tuna salad on tortilla wraps the last few
days, and today was no different. And let's not forget the Tabasco!
Biscuits & Gravy also stopped in, and a new guy I'd never met named
Lorod. He was very cool, a North Caroliner.

I guess Biscuits & Gravy had past someone going South before they
pulled in, and the person said there was trail magic 5 miles up. After
my long break, over an hour, I decided to try and catch it before it
was gone. Unfortunately I didn't make it in time, but I can't be too
uspet because I've already been very fortunate when it comes to trail
magic. One thing I was thinking a lot about during that 5-mile stretch
was how hiking the AT is perfect training to compete on the gameshow
Survivor. I imagine I could do pretty well, I'm a nice guy, in good
shape now, and could survive in the conditions that they are put into.
I'm considering trying out for the show, however it is that they do
it. I think you make your own submission tape. The thing for me too is
that I don't really want to do it for the money, but for the
challenge. I'm curious if it would feel harder or easier than this.

After that it was only 3+ to the shelter, Rod Hollow, and it was easy
miles, but I hit a snag when I got to this part with a fallen sign. I
saw that it said shelter on it, only in a glance, so I figured it was
up this blue-blazed trail, which shelters are generally on. I hiked
straight up this steep mountain, and the shelter was nowhere in sight.
I hiked more, and mind you I had ran out of water before I even made
it to the sign, and still no shelter. This had to be the wrong trail.
I turn around, hike back down, and when I get to the sign I really
take a good look at it. It was all smashed up and just as confusing as
before. So now I'm annoyed, very thirsty, and unsure if the shelter
will be further up or not. I decide to keep going along the AT, and
thankfully I get to the correct sign for Rod Hollow only a short time
later. I headed to the shelter, found a tentsite and quickly set up
there. Then I made dinner, more rice with bacon bits. Need to switch
it out pretty soon.

It's 8:30 now and I'm laying in my tent about to read some more of The
Hobbit after I'm finished with this. I'm still undecided on whether or
not I want to attempt the 4-state challenge. I'll need to decide by
tomorrow because I'm very close to the border. If I do decide to
attempt it then I'll be doing well over a 20 to set myself up nicely
for the attempt. Right now I'm leaning more toward not doing it, but
maybe if I feel really good tomorrow I will. Then again I'll be doing
the rollercoaster all day, so I imagine I'll be pretty tired
afterward, which isn't a good setup for trying to do something so
crazy as the 4-state challenge (40+ miles).

Just to let you all know, I feel much better after getting that whole
yellow blazing hiker out and in the open. And you know, after saying
it I was able to let it go and not care anymore. All that matters is
how I feel about my own journey, and not anyone elses. I think my Dad
said it best with his comment, "To thine own self be true." Hearing
that was comforting and helpful in putting it all behind me.

And to John and Natalie, I'd have to agree I'm biased to my original
AM as well. When this lady told me that was her trail name the first
thing that popped into my mind was my Aunt Mary's awesome fruit
cheesecake, with the blueberries, kiwi, strawberries and all that good
stuff! Might have to request that if we put a party together when I'm
all said and done.

Total miles: 983.8

My 2nd Aunt Mary.

Day 57 - 6/12/10
Got up late, didn't leave until 8:30. One reason was because I hung
around the breakfast table talking. I usually try to get moving
quickly, but this morning I didn't, so I was able to enjoy some
conversation with everyone else.

The terrain today wasn't too hard, mostly downhill, so that was nice.
I stopped into the first shelter out of the Shenandoahs, Tom Floyd
Wayside, around 1:15 for lunch. I needed water so I followed the sign
and ended up going over a 1/4 mile down this steep hill to get it, and
it wasn't even a good source. That annoyed me, I wish I had known. I
stayed there for over an hour, sitting and relaxing, and finally
started my book. I didn't get to last night because when I checked how
long the first chapter was (27 pages) I knew I would end up falling
asleep before I finished it. But taking an extended lunch break to do
some reading felt great.

I left at 2:30 and hiked for over an hour, watching the skies slowly
get darker above me. I made it to US 522, the road you use to hitch
into Front Royal, and just as I was about to cross it to make my way
to the trail on the other side, a lady comes running over with a
sandwich on a plate. It wasn't for me, but she was a trail angel and
she had a bunch of food in her car for hikers, including lunch meats
and all the fixings. There was also a French girl with her who
apparently is here for a summer internship and is staying with Aunt
Mary (this is the lady's trail name). It was perfect timing on my part
because the rain just started to hit when I got there, so I was able
to sit in her car, stay dry, and wait it out.

I wasn't very hungry though, I had only just eaten less then 2 hours
ago, but I felt bad because she had been there for a while, several
hours at least, and I was the first hiker to go by. I ended up eating
and drinking a lot so her efforts wouldn't feel wasted. I had two
strawberries, chocolate milk, a banana, an orange, a slice of pumpkin
pie, a yogurt, and a regular milk. Not bad for someone who wasn't
hungry. I felt so full afterward that my stomach hurt, much the same
as it did when I had my cereal incident back in Hot Springs. Any more
and I defintely would have thrown up. A few others who were behind me
showed up, they ate some food, and she ended up taking both of them
into town. I said goodbye and thank you! then continued on for 5 more
miles, experiencing discomfort the whole way. I got to the shelter,
Jim and Molly Denton shelter, and to my dismay the guy who had snored
like a chainsaw way back when I stayed at the shelter just before
Franklin, NC was here. This really bothered me because there is no way
in hell, excuse my language, that he could be ahead of me.

This brings me to something that I feel like ranting about. I have no
problem with people who decide to blue blaze (take side trails to cut
out some miles aka shortcut), or even someone who does the occasional
yellow blaze (car ride to cut out some miles). But when you do it to
the point where you are skipping some serious mileage, I take offense
to that. It's insulting to the thru hiker community. The saying goes
"hike your own hike", not "hitch your own hike", therefore you have to
hike to be legit. And the thing that bothers me the most is that this
guy is cocky as hell, and honestly believes that he's hiking the AT.
If I were him I wouldn't be able to live with myself. He's cheating,
but acting as if he isn't.

Anyway, I don't want to waste my breath (or anyone else's time) on
this guy. At least I know that I'm doing my best, and being honest
about it. So I set up my tent, then made dinner. Rice again with bacon
bits in a wrap. While it was cooking I looked through the register and
saw that one of Evelyn and Jim's friends had left me a message, and a
book to take with me on the trail! That was very cool, especially for
not ever having met the guy. So that was a nice bonus.

Now I'm getting ready for bed, but before I hit the hay I'll be
wrapping up the first chapter of The Hobbit. Now that I have two books
I really need to get reading! Another good day with some great trail
magic and nice people. Tomorrow another18+ miles. Goodnight!

Total miles: 965.4

Like being back in GA.

Day 56 - 6/11/10
Woke up at 6:30 to go pee, then went back to bed for a few hours.
Didn't get downstairs for breakfast until 8:30 (eggs, bagel, OJ,
coffee), and then didn't leave until 9:15. Evelyn and Jim drove me
back to Thornton Gap, which took close to a 1/2 hour. We asked a lady
to take our picture, they both said a quick prayer for me, then I was
on my way. They did a terrific job taking care of me for 2.5 days, and
I'm so grateful for their amazing hospitality. It made leaving tough.

When I got moving at 10am my knees instantly started hurting, feet
felt sore, I was lacking endurance, almost like being back in Georgia.
My body did end up readjusting to its former glory, but two days off
was definitely noticeable. Plus I had a giant foodbag, so that added
to my troubling start. Then again I felt excited and happy to be back
on the trail. I was beginning to miss it. So there was a wide range of
thoughts and feelings going on this morning.

I ended up seeing three bears within the first hour, four total
throughout the day. The first one was huge, then I saw two cubs only a
short time later, and then one more cub in the afternoon. I've gotten
to the point where I can tell the difference between a bear crashing
through the woods, and a deer nimbly maneuvering away from you. It's a
matter of noise, so each time I hear something, twigs snapping or
leaves rustling, I know whether I can walk without worry or if I need
to keep my eyes peeled for a bear.

One of the things I realized early on this morning was how thinned out
hikers have become. In 3.5 hours I passed 3 people, dayhikers, didn't
come across any thrus until 1:30, and that was only because I was
passing a Wayside, which hikers always flock to. The Shenandoahs have
a few that are convenient for hikers to stop in and get a burger or
something if they want. When I got there I saw Timber, a hiker I met a
while ago, sitting at a table. I went over and said hello, dropped my
bag and went into the store. I bought a blackberry milkshake and when
I came back outside Timber was gone and now and new people were
sitting there. I went over to sit down and ended up striking up a
conversation with them. It was a woman named Sarah, her mother Joan,
and Joan's husband Wayne. After talking with them for a while Sarah
told me her husband Justen also went to Emerson (small world), as a
grad student, so she called him over to introduce me, and I also met
their two children Sequoia and Jorrien. They were all very nice people
and I enjoyed getting to talk with them.

After they left Timber came back, and introduced me to some other
hikers, Safari (guy) and Rabid (girl). They were both very cool, fun
to talk with and friendly. I ended up staying at the Wayside for a
rather extended break, about an hour and a half, so I didn't leave
until 3. That was okay though because I only planned on doing a short
14-mile day to transition myself back into hiking, and that left me
with only 6 more miles to go. I saw that 4th bear right as I was
leaving then. It must lurk near the Wayside because of all the
enticing snacks. I made it to Gravel Springs Hut at 5:30, and the
shelter was already pretty full so I pitched my tent at one of the
designated spots up the hill. I made dinner, rice with bacon bits,
dolloped that onto a tortilla, a few drops of Tabasco and then sealed
'er up. Tasty tasty. Because I stopped earlier then usual I was able
to enjoy a nice meal while relaxing and talking with everyone around
the dinner table.

Now I'm laying in my tent, and after I'm done with this I'll hopefully
still have enough energy to read a few chapters, or at the very least
one from my new book. It's been a nice day, and after only a few rough
miles I feel right back in the swing again. Tomorrow I'm looking to do
an 18+ to this shelter with a solar shower. Take advantage of those as
often as I can. That means this will be my last night in the
Shenandoahs and my last night in a National Park for the remainder of
my trip.

Total miles: 946.8

Zero #7

Day 0 - 6/10/10
Slept in until 9 again, and went downstairs to find another pot of coffee there for me. Didn't drink as much this time around though. Evelyn had yard stuff she did for a lot of the morning and afternoon, so I had some time to use her computer and load all the pictures I've taken up to this point onto the blog. It always takes a long time to do, mostly because I'm always using a different computer that I'm not used to, so I was doing it for several hours. But now they're all there, in the second album, so please go and check them out. Not sure if some of you know this or not, but you don't have to sit and wait watching the tiny slide-show. Just click on it and it will bring you to the album those pictures are in, and it'll be much bigger.

While on the computer I also had time to catch up with Big C through facebook chatting, and it was cool to hear about his grad party he had. Hopefully when I'm in New England we can get together, which is another thing we talked about. I also had a chance to call up Davin and talk with him. He'll be able to meet up pretty soon to do a little hiking, so we're trying to plan the logistics of that. Then I called my Dad and got to talk with him, which was really nice because it's been hard to work around my hiking schedule, being in an area where I actually have service, and getting that on one of his days off.

After all that I took a shower, and then packed up my bag to be ready for tomorrow. Evelyn will be bringing me back to the trail early, around 8, so I wanted to have it all set. Dinnertime came soon after, and we had BBQ chicken that John cooked, a nice salad, and an apple salad thing that was amazing. Evelyn did a great job, and everything was superb. I had three helpings of each, but I think Andrew might have eaten even more than me. Must still be growing. Then I had one of the last pieces of cake and ice cream. Very full after all that.

It's about 8:30 now, so I'm just waiting for the Celtic's game to get started. They really need to take this one if they want to stand a chance. Not sure if I'll be watching the whole game, kind of want to try and get to bed at a decent time so I'm not too tired tomorrow. But who knows, also depends on how the game goes.

And to Judy, I didn't know I would like seaweed, and if you had asked me six months ago to try it I probably wouldn't. But I'm starting to be a little more adventurous with food, and doing so made me realize I actually do like the stuff. So maybe if we work out another mail drop you can send some along. But Jen was right in telling you not to send it, because at the time I would have said the same.

Side note: I started my trip exactly two months ago today, although with seven zeroes I have yet to do two whole months of actual hiking days. Time seems to be moving very fast, I almost can't believe I'll be at the halfway mark soon.

Zero #6 (Trail Days was 4 & 5)

Day 0 - 6/9/10
Finally had a chance to sleep in, getting up around 9. I went downstairs and no one else was around, Evelyn was out running some errands, but there was a whole pot of coffee sitting there waiting for me. I had about 4 cups, which really woke me up and had me all jittery Joe again, like the time at Woods Hole Hostel. Jim was home actually, he had been downstairs, and when he came up we sat at the dinner table talking about this diet he's been on called Macrobiotics. He even made me a little something, Miso soup with seaweed, and it was very tasty. The seaweed was kind of like these tea leaves Jen drinks that really expand when you put them in water.

Evelyn came home and we discussed all the things we were hoping to accomplish for the day. She had as many errands to run as I did (post office, bookstore, grocery store, and clothing store were all mine) so we figured out which town would be best to go to. Then we started talking about her and my Mom, which I love because all the stories are from way back when they were kids living in the same neighborhood. She told me one about how my Mom really impressed the boys playing baseball one day. When it was her turn to get up to bat they all moved in because she was a girl, but she ended up smacking it way over their heads. Every time she went up to bat after that they would always know to back up because she was THE girl that could hit. I had never heard this story so it made me laugh.

We were out and about at 12:30, Jim, Evelyn, and I, and our first stop was the post office. I shipped some stuff home, always trying to think of things I'm not using and to make my pack lighter. Then we went to lunch at Panera, which was really nice because I love that place, especially the broccoli and cheddar soup. They treated me too, so that was very nice of them. After that we split up and I went to the bookstore next door while Jim got a haircut and Evelyn went to a fabric store to figure out stuff for Ruth's wedding dress. I moseyed around looking at all the different books, and bought a small mass market paperback edition of The Hobbit because I've been thinking about that and the Lord of the Rings a lot. I've read it before, and even have a nice hardcover copy at home, but for some reason what I'm doing just really inspires me to want to read it. I think it's the similar sense of adventure and journey.

I made my purchase then went over to the barber where Jim was just getting done. We went and picked up Evelyn, then went to a organic type food store because they needed to get some things. Jim wanted to see if they had any of the seaweed that I could take with me and put in my foods on the trail, but they didn't have the right kind. Seaweed is very healthy, and so it would be something good to take with me. Maybe somewhere up the road I will supply myself with some. Anyway, we then hit up a regular grocer and I bought a few things that I needed. Not too much though because Judy had done such an awesome job with the mail drop she sent. I only bought a new Tabasco (Uncle G they didn't have a small enough size bottle of Frank's, but I did see it there), some tortilla wraps (spinach and herb kind that I've never had but sounds like it'll be awesome) and a bar of dark chocolate because dark is actually good for you and it's nice to have a piece every so often, with dinner or breakfast.

After that we went to Wal-Mart, and I bought a new pair of shorts, swim ones that will dry fast in case it rains. I wanted to replace the pair I had bought in Waynesboro at the Salvation Army because they were too big on me. It was kind of funny because first I went over the Men's section first, and they had some really nice ones, just a little too heavy, so I wandered over to the Boy's department next and found the swimsuits there. I pull out an XXL, the largest size they had, tried them. They fit great, had a nice green, yellow, and blue color pattern, and were super lightweight too, much better than any of the Men's options. I go over and pay for it, and it only cost me 6 dollars! That's because it was a child's size, and those clothes are always cheaper. Good way to save money I suppose. I found Jim and Evelyn after that, and they both had some purchases. Jim bought the new Tim Burton "Alice in Wonderland" so that we could watch it later that night.

After that we went to Home Depot, but they didn't have what Evelyn needed. She was looking for a new wheelbarrow handle. That was our last stop, so we went back to their house, and when we got back it was already 6. The day just flew by. Jim popped in the movie, and an hour later Evelyn brought Andrew to a drum lesson. So Aaron ended up making us (Jim, he and I) pizza for dinner, which was great. Very tasty organic sausage, and lots of spicy red peppers on it. We ate that while the movie finished up. I wasn't a big fan of this version, the story was drastically changed and it just wasn't as good as the Disney cartoon. But I was curious about the movie so I'm glad I had the opportunity to see it.

After that Aaron decided to go over to a buddy's house, and invited me along. I accepted, so we went over there and played some basketball, and he and his friend jammed a little bit for us. Their drummer didn't end up coming over though so they didn't have the full band, which was a little bit of a bummer because from just hearing the guitar and bass they were playing I could tell the music would have been really good. Aaron is a very talented guitar player, and even just hearing him play by himself was cool. Maybe some day I'll get to hear the whole ensemble, who knows. We left and headed back to his house around 11. Evelyn was home, so I discussed with her my plans for getting back to the trail. I decided I probably was going to take one more zero day, just so I could catch up on some photo uploads and have just one day where I could sit around and do nothing. For being a zero day it was a pretty busy one, so I think I deserve tomorrow too. That way I can be fully rested when I do get back to hiking. It's amazing how much there is to do, and how quickly a day goes by, even when all you need to do are simple things. Anyway, it's bedtime now. Goodnight!